A new year, a new scam. If you thought the bad guys took a winter break, don’t be fooled. But the latest scheme cooked up by those seeking to part you from your hard-earned cash is easily avoidable — stop abbreviating the year when you write the date.

By only writing “20” for the year, a scammer could add “15” to the end, making it look like you’ve owed payments since 2015.

By not writing out the full date and only writing “20,” you are leaving scammers with a golden opportunity to insert the other two digits of their choosing.

This could prove to be a problem if you agreed to begin making payments on, for example, 1/3/2020. By only writing “20” for the year, a scammer could add “15” to the end, making it look like you’ve owed payments since 2015.

The solution is to simply write out the full date whenever possible. Taking a little extra time could save you a lot of misery. Happy New Year — here’s to a scam-free 12 months.

•January 3, 2020